Girl, 10, in 5-hour sex ordeal - court

A 49-year-old man accused of carrying out a series of rapes across south-east England asked a 10-year-old girl to "pretend that they were lovers" during a five-hour ordeal in the back of his car, a court heard.

Antoni Imiela forced the girl into his car at knifepoint as she was walking to a friend's house in Birmingham, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

The alleged attack came just two days after Imiela had given a DNA sample to officers investigating the other attacks who had called at his home in Appledore, near Ashford, Kent.

Railway worker Imiela denies nine counts of rape against the three girls under 16 and five women between November 2001 and October 2002. One women was allegedly raped twice.

He also denies the kidnap, indecent assault and attempted rape of the 10-year-old in Birmingham on November 21, 2002.

Mark Dennis, prosecuting, said the Birmingham attack had occurred in "familiar territory" close to a residential area but with open spaces also nearby. "Exactly the same hunting ground," he said.

He said the girl was bundled into a car at knifepoint before being driven around for several hours and repeatedly sexually abused.

Mr Dennis said: "He drove by motorway, by main road and by country road, stopping many times and then moving on when there were just too many people or vehicles. He needed a quiet spot."

He said that during the attack, the girl had described how the man had "almost a dual personality", sometimes being nice to her and asking her to call him by the name 'Tony' and at other times using bad language and threats of violence.

Mr Dennis added: "He insisted that she should pretend that they were lovers and that she should show she was enjoying it."